Children's Bone Health

The baby steps toward building strong bones begin in childhood. “It is in childhood that you lay down the foundation for strong bones. It is said that osteoporosis is a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences,” says Melissa Dobbins, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., nutrition expert, National Dairy Council, Rosemont, IL. Osteoporosis, a condition marked by gradually weakened bones, affects an estimated 10 million Americans each year. As bones lose mineral density over time they become porous and prone to fractures.

Bone super nutrients

The key nutrients for developing strong bones are calcium and vitamin D, according to “The 2004 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis.” In a 2008 study published in Bone (43(2):312-21), researchers evaluated data from 21 randomized clinical trials, including more than 3,800 children, to look at dietary calcium intake and bone mineral content. Children with low baseline intakes of calcium experienced significantly increased bone mineral content when their dietary calcium and/or dairy product intake was increased. The calcium recommendations for children are 500 mg for 1 to 3 years of age; 800 mg for 4 to 8 years; and 1,300 mg for 9 to 18 years. The absorption of dietary calcium in foods and supplements is also a critical factor in determining its availability for bone development and maintenance. Three sources of calcium—calcium carbonate, calcium citromalate, and milk—appear to ensure efficient absorption, retention and use for bone mineralization.

“It’s about more than calcium,” says Dobbins. “Vitamin D helps the body absorb and use calcium.” The adequate intake for vitamin D from birth to 18 years of age is 200 IU per day, but there has been discussion about increasing this recommendation. The major source of vitamin D is sunlight, as ultraviolet B radiation penetrates uncovered skin and converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3, which then becomes vitamin D3. Vitamin D can also be found in fortified milk, fortified foods, fatty fish, beef liver, cheese and eggs.